See, hard work does pay off!

I’m breaking my schedule by posting on a Saturday morning, but last night before bed, I read Teresa’s post, Big news!, where she announced her representation by an agent.

Teresa began blogging around the same time I did last year, and is one of my first blogging friends. She is one of the most dedicated workers when it comes to writing I have ever met (along side with Patricia from my writing group who has not yet been enticed on-line, hint hint). Teresa WORKED at her writing, spending hours researching her own work and the craft. I am very proud of her and happy for her, and wish her lots of success.

This morning, as I made myself some scrambled eggs (French style, soft, with sharp cheese), I was feeling a little unhappy with myself. After I read Teresa’s great news, one of my first thoughts was, hey, that should be me. Well, I thought, a bit self-absorbed, aren’t I? It was a shocking revelation, because I had never thought I was writing with the purpose of publication.

Yes, of course, I wanted to be published, but that wasn’t why I wrote. At least that’s what I thought. In this last week I read this post by guest blogger RD over at Lua’s blog (a new blogging friend for me!). This morning, over coffee and eggs, it all clicked together.

Confession #2: I haven’t begun tackling my own work at all since baby was born, three months ago today.

Well, I have been busy with 2 kids and a newborn. I have been tired. I hurt my back. I have a terrible cold. I didn’t sleep last night. I couldn’t put baby down. My kids are around all the time. It’s summer holiday, after all, I shouldn’t be working. I spend a minimum of half the day of every day of the week at the pool. Hmmm…what else? My sitter’s in Europe. My husband’s contracts are enormous this summer. Oh yes, I need to cook, clean the washroom once in a while, maybe do some laundry and actually fold it. Did I mention there’s a garden? And oh yeah, I still didn’t sleep, and I still can’t put baby down. And my other two kids want to go on their bikes, and play soccer, and go to the park, and got to the pool (again!), and go on playdates, and and and.

At least this is what I’ve been telling myself for the last 6 weeks or so. And all this would be valid, if I didn’t need to write. I’m shaking with the need to write. Sometimes I can hardly keep a conversation up, I am so focused internally on creating stories and stringing words together.

The truth is, it all comes back to fear. Fear I didn’t know I had when I read RD’s post. But, I do (and for some reason Teresa’s success made me realize it.). I have fear of not having the time to do what I want. Fear of not being as productive as I want to be. Fear of not succeeding. Fear of not being published. Because that means that this talent, or gift, or inclination, or whatever you want to call it, might not be real. That means I would have to question myself as a writer. I have a graduate degree in biochemistry that I have no interest is using, will this writing thing be the same?

As you can see this was a heavy morning for me and it’s only 9:23 am! I am grateful for it, because I have the answers for these questions I never even realized I was posing. I write because stories are created within myself, and I need to experience them (through writing). I write because language is beautiful. Because written words bring life, and describe emotions in ways I cannot do with speech. I write because when I don’t I am tense, and agitated. When I write I feel complete.

Get on over there, and give Teresa a congratulations, and while you’re there, if you haven’t poked around I suggest you do. Her site is full of information all writer’s can benefit from, from a writer who loves this art and craft.

Have a terrific weekend.

(side question: is there any benefit at all to posting tags? Can someone explains this to me please?? I wonder how much I should experiment with them…)

Ah yes, the fear. When it comes down to it, there will always be something to fear, at every stage of the process – as long as you can push past the fear and keep walking you’ll do great 🙂

Ditto what Johnathan said about tags. I check wordpress’ ‘tag surfer’ every day to see what other people are writing about in the same areas as me. If you use tags, you’ll pop up on that and get new readers no doubt.

Always?? ahhhh.
I have noticed that the fear creeps up when I’m not writing. As soon as I sit and work, it disappears. The moment I close the laptop, it can return.
When it comes to blogging, well, I always wonder what I’m doing. lol

When it comes to writing fear and frustration are almost synonymous. It’s frustrating when life gets in the way. Writing amoung other obligations is like keeping a candle lit against the wind.

This summer had the same effect for me and I haven’t written a new word since May. But worse is when you take a few months off for summer and your daughter whines that you spend too much time on the computer. No good deed goes unpunished.

Yes, it is a good reason. The rest doesn’t matter. Funny, how it comes in spurs (at least for me.). Times when I really have no anxiety about writing, and publishing my novel is not a fear, just something that I know will happen when it’s time. And then, there are moments when I’m all in a tizzy. (did I say tizzy?? lol).
Thanks, Laura!